Was there anything Kate didn't excel at?

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Having read many articles Kate (pippa & James also) is so accomplished since she was tiny.
She is very sporty.. strong swimmer, excellent skier, hockey player, lacrosse, athletics, netball.. Plays piano very well & also was lead in schools drama production. Excelled at art.
It seems the Middleton's didn't do much in the way of equistrian sports?
Would love my dc to be as accomplished & well rounded. Can't afford Marlborough or any private for that matter!

Both boys are Middletons...in George's case some William. Charlotte is like William but I bet she becomes more like Kate as she grows.

Sarah looks like her father. Any resemblence there is incidental.

Agreed Andrew was very handsome once and even Edward had his 5 minutes in the sun but all the Windsors seem to loose their good looks quite quickly unfortunately. I think the Queen in her youth was more beautiful than Margaret but became matronly very early in life.

It was more that for a few years Andrew was less unattractive than his siblings, rather than very handsome.

It was more that for a few years Andrew was less unattractive than his siblings, rather than very handsome

Obviously assessing attractiveness is subjective, but I think Anne, Edward and Andrew were all good-looking in their youths. They lost their looks as they aged, but - Hollywood stars aside - whom along us doesn’t?

I do think it’s weird to fawn over specifically just the children in the royal family but to fawn over children in general and incidentally include the children, from
the royal family, is quite normal. I think beauty is in the eye of beholder so everyone is considered “beautiful” to someone. I find it odd when people make predictions about children’s looks or say someone has “lost their looks” or their “looks have faded” whether it’s for people in the public eye or not. I feel sorry for people when that happens whether I know them in my personal life or not.

I thought they were all below average in looks, which is a pity, given that their parents were very good looking. And none of them have aged well, with the possible exception of Princess Anne.

Philips family weren’t reknowned for looks. And really neither were the royals although Queen and Margaret were very good looking. None of current lot are great beauties and adonises.

She's incredibly academic compared to say Harry who had even more privilege so there must be some natural ability shining through.

Sorry I'm lost... HMQ and Pippa?

Zara's three children are all gorgeous, some people's genes just seem to click.

I totally agree that Louis is the spit of his non-royal Grandpa. It's the eyebrows and eyes, unmistakable and adorable!

Miaow

He is an exceptionally beautiful child. Lets hope he keeps that gorgeous hair for longer than dad.

All three are lovely-looking children but - am I the only poster who's made uneasy by all this focus on their physical attractiveness? Being pretty is a massive privilege but it's not an achievement. I know it's human nature to feel drawn to attractive people, but I find it especially queasy when applied to children.

Was looking at an old post recently about the RF* where the OP was being brutal about them all for being 'horse-faced'. Love them, hate them or just be indifferent, but please don't base judgement on the configuration of their noses, teeth and hairlines!

*pre gene-input from Middletons or Markles

(But I do agree that Louis is a little like Prince Andrew, and (his horrible history aside) he was very good-looking in his youth...which I think has probably played a part in his unbelievable arrogance since then. Women really did chase him...hard to imagine now.)

She's clearly not an academic,

How on earth can you make such a ridiculous statement??

What counts as 'an academic'?

I wasn't going to join in here- but I can't resist just commenting on the piano thing. I would say that the majority of the admittedly privileged children my own children mixed with, particularly the ones who went to private schools, had grade 3 or 4 in a musical instrument. The majority of the population don't, but I'd call it Normal For Marlborough!

(But I do agree that Louis is a little like Prince Andrew,

He's the image of Michael Middleton!

Lifeinlists · Today 09:20

(But I do agree that Louis is a little like Prince Andrew,

He's the image of Michael Middleton!

Yes - I actually agree with this too! But from William's side, I think he's most like Andrew as a child.

We all see different things, and I see a lot of Diana in William, but not so much in Harry. I know Harry has the Spencer red hair (like Diana's siblings) and NOT, NOT like James Hewitt (God, how many times will some people trot that out), but actually I think he'll end up resembling his father more in later life. I know William has lost his hair, bless him, but his face seems to me leaner and finer than Harry's, which is now partly obscured by a beard. Harry to me looks a bit like Charles (the eyes) and a lot like his uncle, Earl Spencer.

@CoffeeCantata "NOT, NOT like James Hewitt (God, how many times will some people trot that out), "

So much more fun, though....

This is a thread from March 2023. Not much changes eh?

I mean does it really matter how clever the RF are? It's probably a bonus if they are a bit dumb, because otherwise, what a waste. They could be doing something productive instead of making small talk for the rest of their lives? They don't need to do anything onerous. Just be polite (which some of hem cant even manage) read some crib notes, look interested and not think they are so amazing that they don't need to listen to expert advice ( again, something some of them can't manage). Who cares if George has leadership skills or what school he goes to? He's going to be King no matter what. Why do we need to pretend they are cleverer thsn they are, or more accomplished than everyone else?

Angrycat2768 · Today 12:06

I mean does it really matter how clever the RF are? It's probably a bonus if they are a bit dumb, because otherwise, what a waste. They could be doing something productive instead of making small talk for the rest of their lives? They don't need to do anything onerous. Just be polite (which some of hem cant even manage) read some crib notes, look interested and not think they are so amazing that they don't need to listen to expert advice ( again, something some of them can't manage). Who cares if George has leadership skills or what school he goes to? He's going to be King no matter what. Why do we need to pretend they are cleverer thsn they are, or more accomplished than everyone else?

I'm not denying the fact that they make mistakes but I would disagree with you when you imply that what they do is easy. I don't think so! Why do you think careers in the diplomatic service are so difficult to get into? I should think it's a very tall order to have to meet and socialise with world leaders/religious and cultural leaders etc etc and say all the right things and more importantly, none of the wrong things. All the while knowing you're being photographed and that the press are just waiting for your to slip on a banana skin.

God, I'd be dumbstruck if I found myself in that situation. And it's mentally exhausting. So no, they don't always get it right but it's not an easy gig.

@berksandbeyond Unintelligent people don’t get into St Andrews

It was easier to get in then. It was after William went there that it became so tough. Kate wasn't unintelligent, she just didn't excel academically. She was very average for the school. Just normal. The thread is asking if there was anything she didn't excel in. Academics. There were dc at her school that excelled in academics. She wasn't one

She also didn't excel in music. She had piano lessons. More recently she has played for done Christmas events. A single piece well rehearsed over a long time. She doesn't excel in music.

She didn't excel in drama either. She participated.

She did excel in sports. And she is a participator. She got involved in lots of stuff.

Why do you think careers in the diplomatic service are so difficult to get into?

Being a career diplomat is an entirely different thig, The rf don't have to use any skill other than nodding and smiling and dressing appropriately and reading crib sheets, occasionally upping the game to read a few words in the appropriate foreign language in a really bad accent.

I'm appalled that no member of the rf seems to be fluent in a single language other than English - I don't think any is fluent even in French. And that despite enormously expensive educations as well as heaps of leisure time to learn languages if they didn't come easily at school. It's a seriously bad reflection on all of them.

I agree with this assessment. I think it's really difficult for people that went to more ordinary schools to understand what the 'average' student at a top performing school can achieve, especially if they have a good work ethic.

I went to an average state high school but a top university where I met lots of people from very well known schools. They all had at least one extracurricular activity that they took seriously and excelled in. I imagine almost all of the population would be considered talented in one of these things too (sports, debating, music etc) but we haven't been encouraged to identify and develop these interests at an early age like Kate has. Literally everyone of the pupils from these top schools could play an instrument to a reasonable standard and all had done pretty impressive stuff for their Duke of Edinburgh. It really is another world?

Academics wise, Kate would have been considered average in her school. Most of the students I met at university from these schools had straight As in arguably more difficult subjects. I soon realised that the high level of teaching and coaching available at these schools had made a big difference as these students often struggled slightly on my course as they only had access to the same teaching as everyone else. The thing that stayed constant though was their ability to 'talk the talk' and project a polished and intelligent image. I definitely see this in Kate who can effortlessly find the right language to articulate her ideas and she seems relatively credible. I think someone with the same level of intelligence but without her upbringing would come across very differently.

Toffeetalk

I'm appalled that no member of the rf seems to be fluent in a single language other than English - I don't think any is fluent even in French. And that despite enormously expensive educations as well as heaps of leisure time to learn languages if they didn't come easily at school. It's a seriously bad reflection on all of them.

If that's the case, Toffee, I agree with you. But the older generation (Queen and PP and Margaret) all spoke Eng, French and German. I'm sure the generation behind them were even better - I think Queen Mary was more comfortable in German.

I've seen interviews where Prince Philip speaks perfect German (heard native speakers say it was faultless) and since he was brought up in France, I'm sure his French was very good too. I know the Queen and Charles speak French, but I wouldn't claim they are bi-lingual, or up to the standard of Philip. They almost certainly do German too, but again, perhaps not to the highest standard.

Don't know about the younger RF. If they don't speak 2 other langs (let's face it, probably French and German) well, then I agree that's not OK. It should be a minimum requrement. I bet they do speak these languages but possibly not to a fluent standard...but yes, they have the resources to achieve that and they should - I agree.

CoffeeCantata I'm talking about the current generation. They aren't fluent in any other language than English, which is really quite bad.